Drinks giant sells wines and spirits arm

Irish drinks giant C&C Group has sold its Northern Ireland wines and spirits business with the loss of three jobs.

The news comes just weeks after C&C axed 121 jobs – a fifth of its workforce – across its Irish operations, including seven in Belfast.
The company has also introduced a pay freeze for 12 months and is looking to reduce costs by £5m this year.
Local company Golf Holdings, which owns Wine Inns and McCabes, has bought Hollywood & Donnelly for an undisclosed sum.
“The company believes that in the current economic climate it is in the best interests of C&C’s shareholders, the brands that Hollywood & Donnelly represents and its employees to accept the offer, says a company spokesman.
“Following the sale of the wines and spirits business, it will no longer be able to use the Hollywood & Donnelly name. As a result, the new Magners and beer business will trade as C&C Northern Ireland, part of the All Ireland business unit.
C&C Northern Ireland will continue to trade from its Castlereagh headquarters in east Belfast.